Belarusian dog barks again

• 30.01.2012, 16:01

Alyaksandr Huryanau, the deputy foreign minister of Belarus, has doubts whether the US is able to block settlements in dollars for Belarusian companies.

“We are not inclined to think the United States will restrict settlements in dollars relating to Belarus’s imports and exports, because it will tarnish the image of the dollar as the world currency. It’s like making a rod for your own back,” Huryanau said in an interview to Interfax-Zapad news agency.

“It’s difficult to predict the behavior of our partners in the US. It seems easy to manipulate financial flows if you back the world’s main reserve currency. But one should always remember about consequences of such decisions. On the one hand, the dollar is the national currency of the US, but on the other hand, this is the currency used in international settlements, which secure it economically. This is the main reason why one should understand the degree of responsibility when making such decisions,” the deputy foreign minister said.